Alpeed mendel



A. MENDEL; MEANS FOR GARRYING KNAPSAGKS.

(No Model.)

No; 292,566. Patented Janrzg, 1884.

' u. Pmns, Pnmum npwn Washinghzm n. c.

UNITED STATES V PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED MENDEL, or DRESDEN, sAxon GERMANY.

MEANS FOR CARRYING KNAPSACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of letters Patent No 292,566, datedJanuary 29, 1854.

' Application filed November 10, 1883. (No model.)

1'0 on whom it may concern,

The bearer or carrying-piece a consists,

Be it known that I, ALFRED MENDE'L, of mainly, of an angle-piece of sheet iron or steel.

Dresden, in the kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, have invented an Improvement in Means for Carrying Knapsacks for Military, Tourists, and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification. 4

The object of this invention is to provide means by which the load or weight of the knapsack, generally carried on the back by military men, tourists, &c., is taken away from the shoulders and distributed over a larger area of the body.

Hitherto, in the mode of carrying the knapsack, the entire weight or load of it rested by means of straps on the comparatively small surface or area presented by theshoulders. The straps used in some countries by military men are provided with hooks by which such straps are hooked underneath the sword-belt, but they do not relieve the shoulders. The

freedom of movement in the shoulders greatly promotes the comfort and facility in marching. By thehereinafter-described means the necessary mobility of the shoulders is not interfered with by the knapsack, and the person is better able to endure exertion or fatigue. The object sought is attained by providing a rest or bearer for carrying the knapsack, which pieceis supported by a chain fixed to and carried by the coat in such a manner that the coat forms a broad belt fordistributing the weight of the knapsack 0n the person. The load or weight of the knapsack does not rest, as heretofore, by small straps upon comparatively small parts of the body, but is carried or distributed in front and on the sides of the buttoned coat. The shoulder-straps now merely serve to hold theknapsack toward the-body- The bearer, or carrying-piece, upon which the knapsack rests, is not carried by the swordbelt, (though the bearer or carrying-piece is attached to this belt,) but is carried or supported by the connection to the coat.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents part of a coat, with my knapsack-holding device in place. Fig. 2 is a section at w 00. resents a modification in the manner of connecting the carrying-piece to the belt, and Fig. 4 illustrates how a camp-kettle may be connected to the sword-belt and form the support for the knapsack.

Fig. 3 rep- The horizontal part b of this angle-piece forms the rest for the knapsack. The part b is supported by the brace-piece c. The vertical part 01 is provided with a hook, 6, into which the chain is'passed. The bearer or carrying piece a, with its vertical part (I, is now either inserted into a sheath, k, fastened to the belt I, as seen in Fig. 3, or it is fixed to said beltZ by means of a screw-bolt, f, and nut g, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In using this bolt and nut it is recommended to insert or place between the belt land the carrying-piece a a cushion, h, stuffed in any suitable manner; but this cushion may also be used as a repository for lint, flaps, patches, or such like soft articles of outfit for marching men. This cushion transfers the pressure of the part 41 to a larger area of the body. The chain 4; may be hooked into two hooks, protruding at any convenient part from the coat; or the chain may at its one end be fixed to the coat by a button, a ball, or an eye, and may be hung with its other end in a hook or ring, according to the required length, this hook or ring being also fixed to the coat. The chain must be of such. length that it actually carries the bearer a by the hook e, and that this bearer a is not carried by the belt Z.

' It is of importance that the two devices for fastening the chain to the coatnamely, the button, ball, or eye on one side, andthe hook or ring on the other side-are not merely sewed or attached to the cloth or its lining, but are sewed or attached to straps or patches of leather or similar strong -material, which .extend over a large area at the inside of the coat. The load or weight of the knapsack is transferred by means of the chain 1' and the bearer or carrier a b o d to a large area of the body; in fact, the coat, buttoned in front, forms a broad belt carrying the knapsack. The shoulders are perfectly freed from pressure, load, or weight, and are not hindered in mobility during marching.

For military purposes there may be used instead or in the place of the bearer or carrying-piece a the field 0r camp-kettle a, which is to be attached or fixed in the above-described manner to the sword-belt. Into the two lugs of the field or camp kettle athe chain 1' is hooked, which chain in this instance may be made in two pa1tsone for each side of the kettle. The cover of the kettle to forms the rest for the knapsack; the kettle a itself forms the bearer or carrying-piece, which hangs by the chains 2 the chains being supported by the buttoned coat in the above-described manner.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the knapsackbearer, of attaching devices for connecting such bearer to the coat at the sides thereof; substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the knapsackbearci', of the attaching devices for connect- I 5 ing such bearer to the coat at the sides thereof and the device for connecting the bearer to the waist-belt, substantially as specified.

This specification signed by me this 19th day of October, A. D. 1883.

ALFRED MENDEL.

Vitnesses:

XVILHELM WIEsENHiiTTER, DIARTIN KoRNER. 

